


Behind Glass

by Bleed_Peroxide



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M, Shorterbread Cookies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 07:11:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17259848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bleed_Peroxide/pseuds/Bleed_Peroxide
Summary: When the afternoon flowed like syrup into the coolness of dusk, when the chorus of cicadas and Ash’s banter quieted into the sound of gentle breathing… it made Shorter wish that he capture these moments in a bottle.Precious things, he’d learned, needed to be kept behind glass.





	Behind Glass

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SleepyAridette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepyAridette/gifts).



> The wonderful [SleepyAridette](https://twitter.com/SleepyAridette) requested a 1000-word fic for ShorEiji - fluffy but slightly naughty. I asked 'em if I could add some hints of AshEijiShorter, and they were kind enough to let me add that in there. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! :)

When the afternoon flowed like syrup into the coolness of dusk, when the chorus of cicadas and Ash’s banter quieted into the sound of gentle breathing… it made Shorter wish that he capture these moments in a bottle.   

 Precious things, he’d learned, needed to be kept behind glass.    

He was reminded of the minuscule displays in glass orbs that his older sister scattered throughout their cramped apartment. As a child, Shorter had always thought that her collection of glass flowers or snow globes made the living room feel magical - he’d marveled at the tiny figurines immortalized mid-waltz, where time nor the world beyond their duet existed. 

He’d always envied them. In an ideal world, one could choose the moment they cherished and choose to dwell within it indefinitely. Like the smiling pair, pirouetting in a cascade of paper snow, he could simply choose to stay there if he so wished.  

If he had to choose any moment…  _this one_ , he thought.  _I’d stay here._  

The setting itself was unremarkable - he could have chosen somewhere a bit more elegant than a run-down hotel room in the countryside, with its peeling wallpaper and the ghost of cigarette smoke clinging to the air. He could have chosen a place with a bed fit for a king… hell, even a more spacious couch, instead of the raggedy mattress and worn-down sofa they had instead.  

But these were all minor inconveniences. He could deal with the imperfections so long as, no matter how the scene was framed, he could have these two with him.  

He was greedy, so utterly selfish… yet he couldn’t bring himself to feel particularly ashamed by it. Decorum be damned, he refused to be satisfied with just one or the other. 

Ash was darkness and wine, a heady thrill that left Shorter dizzy with want. He knew the art of pleasure like a virtuoso, could turn Shorter’s knees to jelly with just a heated glance. He was like handling hellfire, hungry and demanding in a way that left Shorter deliciously sore and littered in bruises.  Yet he looked positively angelic right now, slumbering peacefully in a worn armchair next to the window. The sunlight turned his platinum hair to burnished gold, reminding Shorter of a halo. He could count on one hand the number of men Ash permitted himself to sleep near - let alone when Eiji was involved.  

Eiji, by contrast, was warmth and light, the flutter of butterflies in one’s stomach. With Eiji, Shorter had the privilege of teaching him different flavors of desire, delighted in drawing out a surprised gasp as he found another sensitive spot. He might have been inexperienced… but as Shorter had learned, he was a devoted pupil, and a very quick study.  

Whereas Ash looked like a vision of out of heaven, Eiji fixed Shorter with a mischievous smile. It was like the invitation of an incubus, playful with just a hint of something… more. Whenever Eiji looked at him like that, it made Shorter wonder how people ever assumed that Eiji was naive.  

“Y’know… Ash had you to himself all day, and I’m feeling like my Eiji Stores are running kinda low,” Shorter said. He gestured at the space next to him, which Eiji eyed with a critical brow - he was sitting on the opposite end of the couch himself.  

“If you want me, come get me,” Eiji challenged instead, that smile turning downright wicked.  

It sent a jolt of electricity down Shorter’s spine. The kid’s English might have had a few gaps, but he knew _precisely_ what the particular turn of phrase implied.  

Before Eiji could recant his words, Shorter dove across the space between them on the couch, scooping the boy up into his arms and planting him firmly on his lap. To his credit, Eiji only let out a little giggle as Shorter’s fingers brushed against a ticklish region on his ribs, but otherwise took the gesture in stride. 

Indeed, his only response was to wrap his arms loosely around Shorter’s neck, adjusting his legs on either side of Shorter’s thighs to sit more comfortably. He was exceedingly careful where he rested his weight - though their chests were flush with one another, Shorter noticed that he was careful to avoid pressing other areas quite as closely.  

“How is this?” Eiji inquired, all innocence and charm. “Are your ‘Eiji Stores’ better?”  

Shorter settled for tugging lightly at the collar of Eiji's shirt, asking for permission wordlessly. Eiji simply nodded - though there was still traces of that playfulness in his smile, his eyes smoldered with the heat of kindling moments before it caught flame. The way he held his breath - likely without realizing he did so - spoke more of his desire than the flush to his cheeks or the unconscious way in which he wet his lips.   

Eiji was not so much hellfire as the hearth. Eiji was the quiet pleasure of the last piece of clothing fluttering silently to the floor, the worshipful touch of splayed palms upon naked flesh bathed in moonlight. 

He was the shuddering sigh as Shorter undid the buttons of his dress shirt, slow and reverent as though unwrapping a gift. He couldn’t take his eyes from the way Eiji’s body unveiled itself with each button - he looked so small and vulnerable beneath his clothing. One would never expect such an exquisite, athletic body were hidden beneath it all.  

He couldn’t help himself. Shorter ran his lips lightly along the line of Eiji’s stomach, tongue darting out to taste slightly salty skin.  

“Shorter, please,” Eiji sighed, fingers threading through that bright shock of purple hair and tugging at it lightly. Shorter glanced up and found Eiji staring at him with blatant hunger.  

Shorter rested his hands on Eiji’s thighs, giving them a light squeeze. “Yes?” 

Eiji tapped his lips.  

“Ah, a kiss. I was so eager, I’d almost forgotten.”  

Eiji met him halfway, drawing Shorter to his lips with a ferocity that has Shorter damn near clawing into Eiji’s legs. He ran his tongue along the seam of Eiji’s lips, another request for permission, to which Eiji parted readily and accepted him. Their tongues were slow, exploratory - Eiji might have been a novice, but he more than made up for it with his willingness to learn. Shorter had learned early on that Eiji _really_ enjoyed kissing, perhaps more so than sex itself.  

Shorter, for his part, was never eager to rush it. There was a lot to be said for the pleasure of hearing Eiji whimper into his mouth as his fingers wandered, as though consuming his sounds of pleasure. He let a finger trail along the inseam of Eiji’s jeans, dangerously close… oh yes, _there_ it was. He relished how Eiji shuddered at the feather-light touch, the slight tingle of pain as Eiji’s fingers tightened in his hair.  

Shorter was a simple man. He didn’t need riches. He didn’t need a fancy penthouse.  

He just needed _this_. Right here. The quiet sounds of Ash’s gentle snores as he slept with the lazy ease of a cat bathing in the sun, cradled in slumber free from nightmares. He only needed the feel of Eiji’s hands in his hair, the taste of him on his tongue, and the reassurance of his body warm and solid. 

The way these two men let themselves unfold like flowers beneath his touch - it was more precious than any riches or gold. The fact that he, of all people, was given the trust and privilege of that intimacy. He wanted to memorize the way Ash would lace their fingers together with a small smile, explaining that it made him feel anchored and safe. He wanted to memorize the way Eiji would whisper Shorter’s name like a prayer before capturing his lips in a bruising kiss.  

Precious things, he’d learned, needed to be kept behind glass.  

For now, drywall and stained wallpaper would have to do. 


End file.
